Infant&#39;s bathing device



y 21, 1953 B. H. KENNE DY 2,645,782

I INFANTS BATHING DEVICE Filed oct. 18, 1951 FIG. I

INV TOR. Beg 0mm 1/. mneaj Patented July 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PAT T OFFICE Application October 18, 1951, Serial No. 251,867

3 Claims.

This invention relates to infants bathing devices and has for its object the provision of certain improvements in devices of this character. More particularly, my invention is concerned with bathing devices comprising a foldable tub supported on a collapsible frame having longitudinal front and rear rails, and provides an im'- proved hammock means for supporting the infant while being bathed in the tub.

It has been the practice heretofore to provide a hammock for supporting the infant at a position above the bottom of the tub and above the water level. However, as the infant grows larger, it becomes essential to bathe it in the tub without using the hammock, the infant being placed directly on the bottom of the tub. My invention provides an improved means for removably attaching the hammock to the tub.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a hammock supported on two side rods, the ends of which connect with removable hooks which engage the longitudinal rails of the bathing device frame and hold the hammock in spanning relation to the tub. The hammock has edge tunnels through which the rods can. be inserted when the hooks are removed. My invention provides rods with necked ends and hooks covered with a thick sheath of rubber tubing or elastic plastic material and looped ends of such size that they must be forced over the ends of the rods to assume a loose swinging position over the necks of the rods. The hooks may be detached merely by pulling them off and when detached they can be laid fiat for packaging.

One of the important features of my invention is that the hammock can be attached to the frame of the device without the necessity of providing straps, loops, or other attachments on the tub. Bathing devices are sold with or without the hammock, the hammock being an accessory.

When hammock-connecting means are perma--- nently attached to the tub or frame, the purchaser of a device without a hammock complains to the store that something is missing. My improvement overcomes this complaint by providing the removable books which are completely independent of the device.

These and other objects of the invention will be better understood after considering the following discussion taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the essential portions of an infants bathing device showing the improved hammock of my invention in spanning relation to the tub,

Fig. 2 is an elarged fragmentary sectional view at 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view at 33 0 Fig. 2.

The infants bathing device illustrated in the drawings comprises the usual cross-legged supporting frame I having upper longitudinal rails 2 and 3 on which is supported a collapsible tub 4 formed of a waterproof fabric material, such as rubberized cloth or cloth impregnated with resinous material. The tub is entirely free of straps, tabs or other means for the attachment of the hammock, as in the devices used heretofore.

My improvement comprises a cloth hammock 6, the longitudinal edges of which are overlapped and stitched to form the tunnels 1 and 8 in which the supporting rods 9 and III are inserted. The

four hooks I2 are bent from metal rods l3 and.

are covered with a relatively thick sleeve l4 of resilient plastic, such as Vinylite, rubber, etc. The larger hooked end is shaped to fit over the rails 2 and 3 and. the smaller circular or looped end l5 has a diameter inside the plastic sleeve which is slightly smaller than the overall diameter of the rods 9 and [0 so that the hook must be forced over the ends of the rod 16 against'the yieldable resistance of the plastic to the necks I! which are of smaller diameter and on which the hook is freely rotatable. I

The hammock with the rods 9 and 10 inserted and the hooks attached may be supported over the rails of the frame at any desired place. This construction permits locating the hammock near one end of the tub making the other end of the tub more readily accessible. Another important feature is that the rods without the hammock can be suspended along the sides of the tub to serve as hand rails for the baby. This gives the larger child a sense of security while gripping the rods my invention is that'it can be dismantled for distribution in a small package because the hooks can be laid flat alongside of the rods. The hammock can be sold as an accessory and put into use by the purchaser by merely attaching the hooks to the rods and hanging the hammock over the rails of the bathing device.

I claim:

1. The improvement in hammocks for infants bathing devices having a frame with longitudinal rails which support the tub which comprises two side rods for supporting the hammock, a ham-- mock having edge means for connection with the rods, the ends of the rods extending beyond the hammock being necked to a smaller diameter, a hook having a relatively thick resilient sheath and a rounded portion proportioned to effect a tight fit with the rod requiring force to be pushed thereover to the smaller diameter neck where the hook is removably secured but freely turnable, the hook being adaptable to engage the said rails and support the hammock over the tub.

2. The improvement in hammocks defined in claim 1 which comprises a hammock having edge tunnels in which the rods are insertable.

3. The improvement in hammocks defined in claim 1 in which the hammock is removably connected to the rods and can be removed when the 4 hooks are removed, whereby the rods can be attached to the sides of the tub by the hooks without the hammock to serve as hand rails for the infant being bathed.

BENJAMIN H. KENNEDY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,111,094 Rehm Sept. 22, 1914 1,199,881 Ewing Oct. 3, 1916 2,358,003 De Puy Sept. 12, 1944 2,514,767 Kennedy July 11, 1950 

